


The Courage of the Stars

by horrorhxe



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Fluffy, I hope, Korean Keith (Voltron), Latino Lance (Voltron), M/M, My first Voltron Fic, Slow Build, Space Gays, Swearing, im bad at planning, non binary pidge, space, tbh i havent written in months, themed to a song, they/them pronouns, won't be too slow though bc it wont be that long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-19 19:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8221687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horrorhxe/pseuds/horrorhxe
Summary: Sleepless nights in his favourite window seat was nothing new to Keith.. Until a fellow sleepless boy decides to join him one night.





	1. Chapter 1

Once again, Keith found himself huddled against the cool surface of the bay window. Staring out into the great expanse of space, he let his mind fill with doubt.

_What if I'm not a capable Paladin? I can't work well with others after all- and isn't Voltron heavily dependent on a strong team?_

The thought of not fufilling his duty to the Universe sent shivers through the raven haired boy's already cold bones. He was tired, yet here he sat, unable to take advantage of the allocated 'night' time. Insomnia loved to haunt him. Even as a defender of the Universe, he couldn't escape sleepless nights.

 

“What are you doing up?” a soft voice startled Keith out of his miserable trance. He scanned the dimly lit hall, eyes settling on the tall shadowy figure approaching.

“What do you want Lance?” Keith mumbled, not in the humour for a fight. Lance always wanted to challenge Keith and most of the time, Keith was game. At this late, wakeful hour however, he really didn't feel like doing much of anything- apart from staring into the infinity of space. A soft chuckle escaped Lance's lips and Keith felt a warmth in his chest. _What the fuck? Stop that. Lance is in no way endearing, Keith._

“Can't sleep?” Lance asked, taking a seat across from him. When no reply came from Keith, Lance continued; “Me neither. I don't know what it is, but some nights it's just so hard to sleep...” Lance seemed to pause for a second, a lopsided grin forming on his face. “Well I guess technically it's always night when you're floating around space in a castle-fortress-spaceship thingy.” Keith couldn't help but laugh at that, Lance had such an odd way of speaking sometimes. The look the brunet boy gave Keith sent another warm flush in his chest, he had to look away this time, fearing the blush may creep to his face. Something about how those deep blue eyes softened when Keith had let the small laugh escape his throat, made him want to make Lance look at him like that more often. A slight pink brushed the tips of Lance's ears- not that Keith noticed.

 

The silence that followed wasn't awkward or tense, but comfortable. Something Keith wanted to continue forever. But, of course, Lance being Lance, he had to break it by saying something incredibly dimwitted.

“Dude, do you think there's like aliens out there?” he asked, mocking a stereotypical stoner voice. Keith looked straight into his eyes, and replied in a deadpan voice:

“No, it's definitely just us.” Lance's eyes lit up at Keith's attempt at being witty and sarcastic, Keith however had to look away realising the implications of the 'just us' part. _Cop the fuck on Keith, this is Lance we're talking about. You are tired, you are most certainly not beginning to crush on the irritating shithead._ Distracted by his furious inner discussion, Keith nearly missed Lance's (slightly delayed) response.

“If it's just us, I might as well sit beside you then.” seemingly without a moment of hesitation or embarrassment Lance had shifted over until he was barely 2 inches away from Keith, staring out at the stars with him. Keith could feel himself furiously blushing so he avoided turning to look at the boy so close beside him. The comfortable silence returned then.

 

After an indeterminate length of time, Keith felt his eyes drooping, the heat radiating from Lance making him drowsy. Without much of a fight, he gave in, head falling onto Lance's suprisingly comfortable shoulder. If the other had been surprised he didn't show it, instead he just rested his head carefully atop Keith's. Knowing he'd regret this in the morning, Keith fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

-

 

Several hours later, Keith awoke to the lights brightening to signify 'day'. Disorientated, Keith wondered how he'd come to be wrapped in a warm blanket on his favourite window seat. Last thing he remembered of his late night was... _Oh shit._ Leaping up, Keith glanced around in search of the tall, tanned boy whose shoulder he'd fallen asleep on last night. With Lance no where in sight, he sat back on the seat, taking the blanket in his arms. The idea of Lance wrapping him in a blanket sent an unusual flood of feelings through Keith. He wasn't the type to _feel_ very easily- being closed off was pretty much what he did best. So, whatever this was, Keith was most certainly not prepared for it. With hopes of forgetting the confusing feelings in his gut, Keith made his way to his room to freshen up before going to grab some breakfast with everyone.

 

-

 

“You look like shit.” Pidge stated when Keith walked into the dining area. Keith had to admit, they were right about that- Keith looked terrible this morning. Turns out bay windows are not the best beds, especially for already exhausted boys with too many uncertanties in his mind. Sighing, he sat down beside Shiro, ignoring the scolding the leader of Voltron was giving Pidge for swearing. He was too tired for this. Slowly eating his goo-breakfast, Keith allowed himself sink into a thoughtless state, focusing only on eating and breathing. Hours seemed to pass (although it was realistically probably 10 minutes at most) before he was shook out of his reverie. Someone had entered the room. He looked up and his eyes met with those deep blue ones. _Fuck._ Keith felt his ears grow warm as he hastily returned to staring at his goo like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

 

“Last up as per usual I see.” Allura tutted at the tall boy, but he just laughed and quickly took his seat beside Hunk- thankfully at the opposite end of the table to Keith as the raven haired boy really doubted he could withstand Lance sitting across from him right now. Soon the table descended into animated conversations between Hunk, Pidge and Lance, and Shiro, Allura and Coran respectively. Keith ignored the irritated pang at how he didn't seem to slot into either of these conversations with ease. Although, honestly, that wasn't anything new to him. He wasn't exactly a conversationalist.

 

“..Keith?” a voice dragged him out of his mind. “Why are you so spaced out today?” a pause; “No pun intended.” It was Hunk, his voice soft as it called to Keith. He looked up and noticed that it was only Hunk and himself left at the table.

“When did everyone leave?” Keith questioned, more to himself than to Hunk.

“Ah, about 5 minutes ago. They're all gone to start training, but I decided to hang back when I saw you spacing.” Hunk smiled, his toothy grin warm and welcoming. _What a great guy._ Keith couldn't help but appreciate the genuine kindness of the other.

“Thanks man, I'm just really tired today so I'm kinda not all there,” Keith shrugged and gave a small smile to his concerned friend.

“I get you, dude. Take it easy okay? Don't push yourself too much today.”

“I'll try. Thanks again Hunk.”

 

They walked to the training area then, Hunk gushing about something he'd been tinkering with in his spare time and Keith silently listening and admittedly understanding very little. Keith liked to think he was smart enough but Hunk and Pidge took it to the next level. At least he was smarter than Lance, he held back a scoff at that thought. _See? I do not like him, I was just thrown off at his weird niceness is all._ Keith didn't know who he was justifying himself to, but they needed to know whoever they were. As the two boys approached the large doors leading to the training stage the telltale noises of combat told Keith they'd already begun. Cursing his own vacant attitude this morning, he entered behind Hunk.

 

“Hunk! Keith! We're doing group practice today so jump on in whenever your ready and get fighting.” Coran rushed at them as soon as they entered, 100 words a minute as per usual. He really was something to behold. Even after all these months, Keith still found him overwhelming. Without a seconds delay, Keith grabbed his bayard and threw himself into training.

 

-

 

After a dinner of slightly different goo, the Paladin's separated for their own free evenings. Hunk, Pidge and Lance left together as usual but Keith suspected Pidge would do their own thing after 5 minutes of listening to Lance babble. He smiled at the thought of the tall boy babbling about this, that and the other.

“What are you smiling at, huh?” _Shit._ Keith thought, _caught in the act._ Shiro always caught him doing something he wouldn't mean to do. Keith shrugged and made for the door, glancing over his shoulder to see an inquisitive Shiro. Clearly he was intrigued as to what had caught Keith's attention- Keith would never admit it was the boy he claimed to despise.

 

Almost without thinking, Keith wandered to his usual seat at the window. He couldn't help but admit he felt a small twinge of disappointment when there was no Lance awaiting him, blanket and soft blue eyes in tow. Huddling close to the window, he relished the cool glass-like material on his face. Slowly, his eyes grew heavy and within a few moments, he slipped into the realm of sleep with nothing but the image of a tall, tanned boy with a lopsided grin and startling deep blue eyes moving around in his mind.

 

An unknown amount of time passed before Keith was jolted into consciousness again. Breathing. He could hear _breathing_? Gazing up, he was greeted with the boy who had consumed the dreams from which he'd been rudely awoken from.

“Lance?” Keith mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. The boy turned around to face Keith, shocked at his awakening.

“Sorry.. did I wake you?” Lance's voice was soft and... sad? Yeah, it sounded sad. Keith felt a pang of sympathy for the boy, even though he had know idea why he was sad.

“Are you okay?” Keith couldn't keep the concerned edge from his voice as he tried to sound nonchalant. Lance just smiled, hummed a yes and turned back to gazing out at the stars. “Okay...” Keith wasn't one to push, he wasn't good with his own emotions, never mind anyone else's. That didn't mean he'd forget that sad tone though- he made a mental note to bring it up some other time when he wasn't sleepy and uncertain. Shifting slightly so he was sitting beside Lance rather than diagonal to him, Keith resisted the urge to place his hand on the other's, settling for resting it beside instead. They sat in the same peaceful silence as the previous night, taking in the wonder of whatever galaxy they were in, totally and entirely.

 

After an eternity of calm, Keith was falling asleep again. He cursed himself for being so sleepy around Lance- it wasn't like he was bored or anything he just felt at peace next to him. Looking out at the stars beside an admittedly attractive boy in a pleasant silence, Keith couldn't help but forget his never ending self doubt. This side of Lance was really something he wanted to see more of. Once again, his hand itched to touch Lance's, to feel the warmth of his skin and not just the warmth of his being beside him. As if reading Keith's thoughts, Lance moved his hand atop Keith's, resting it as if to comfort him (even though he didn't think any more comfort than was present was necessary). Keith flushed and sighed at the lack of embarrassment on Lance's behalf. _Damn him, I'm supposed to be the cool collected one here._ Keith thought, with no ill intent. Falling asleep once again, he relished the sight of the boy who he was now undoubtedly crushing on.

 

And of course he didn't see the pink tinge to Lance's ears, or the slight grin on his face.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so I haven't written anything in a very long time and I'm sort of rusty but I love these boys so much that I felt I simply HAD to write something. I have a plan, but it isn't long- we'll see where it takes us I guess!  
> Enjoy~


	2. Chapter 2

Days passed and, as per usual, Keith was up most nights. There was no change there- however there was a distinct lack of Lance. Keith tried to not agonise over it too much, but his mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that Lance had noticed him staring and blushing and had been scared away. _Good job Keith, you scared the cute guy away. Time to accept your inevitable lonely future.._ Doing his best to ignore the withdrawal he was experiencing from no late night rendezvous with the tall boy, Keith spent each day training harder than usual and doing his best to avoid any alone time with Lance (outside of the wee hours of the night, Keith couldn't avoid something that had stopped happening after all). Of course, sometimes it didn't work out in his favour and he ended up doing pair work with Lance or bumping into him in one the long empty corridors of the castle. Keith could barely make eye contact with Lance during most of these cases, it was painful to try and hold his solid state when he gazed into those eyes. The way they reflected the sparkling pin-pricks of the stars as he gazed out the window gave Keith butterflies. He wanted to stare into those deep blue eyes and let all his worries float away into the vacuum of space- of course, now that Lance had stopped joining him at the window, that wasn't an option anymore. And Keith? Keith was disappointed. Not at Lance but at himself. He'd let his mind wander into territories he was totally unfamiliar with and now he was paying the price. Rejection sucks. _It's not rejection when there's nothing to reject idiot._ He scolded himself, shaking away his doubts while he pressed on with his vigorous day in and day out of training.

 

Of course the intense training was taking a hold on Keith and for the first time since he'd become an oh so important defender of the Universe, he was sleeping most nights right through. For this, he was grateful, with the way his previous few nights minus Lance were going, he didn't want to see what his Lance detox would be like in a weeks time when he was also absolutely exhausted. With this in mind, Keith trudged his heavy feet towards to dining area (Keith was most certainly not a morning person. He was a night owl and night owls don't like rising early). Pushing open the doors, he is greeted by only two of his fellow teammates.

“Hunk, Pidge,” he greets them, wincing at how severe his voice sounded.Sounding like he was pissed off even when he wasn't was a great talent Keith had inadvertently gained over the past few years.

“Hey Keith! How did you sleep?” Hunk replied as cheerful as ever, Keith hoped Hunk realised it wan't Keith's intention to come as rude.

“Ah okay I guess,” He shrugged, making his way into the kitchen and back out again with a bowl of unappetising looking goop. By the time he sat down Pidge was already on a rant about something technology related and Hunk was nodding thoughtfully in reponse. Keith wondered did Hunk actually understand Pidge or were his levels of niceness just that high. Could be both.. or neither.

 

“Oi, Keith! Are you listening?” Keith felt something cool splatter on his face, he jumped a little and wiped his face of breakfast goo cereal instinctively before looking up for his food attacker. _Pidge you little shi-_ “Weeeell?” they pressed him again, drawing out the 'e' noise in well so it was extra annoying.

“What did you say, I wasn't listening?”

“Rude.”

“Pidge, just ask again,” Hunk sighed, grimacing at what was presumably the food on his spork. Keith couldn't help but smile at the genuine happiness Hunk and Lance had expressed when they found out sporks were a very important piece of cutlery. Lance had done that thing he does when he's excited and everything- waving his arms around manically and jumping slightly on the spot while spewing 100 words a second. _Why is everything he does cute as hell?_ Keith was bitter at the thought of Lance, the Lance who he could barely make direct eye contact with lately due to risk of melting into a puddle of gay. Pidge was speaking again, this time he caught the end of what was being said.

“So why are you two being awkward as everliving fuck around eachother the past 2 weeks?” _you two? Who does she mean?_ Keith was a little thrown off, admitedly due to his own lack of attention. _Think Keith, think... Oh._

 

“You mean me and Lance, right?”

“Jesus christ man, where is your head this morning? I think your lion must have stolen it or something because honestly you're not even listening to me!” Pidge was giving out, just as they usually did. Keith found it annoying sometimes but endearing others- now though, it was annoying.

“Are we being awkward, I hadn't noticed honestly,” Keith lied through his teeth, hoping they might back off and leave him sulk in his own destructive love-sick way. Unfortunately, if their incredulous expressions were anything to go off, they didn't believe Keith, not one little bit. Keith sighed, sitting back and pushing his food away. His appetite had suddenly dissappeared anyway. “Okay, okay. I don't it's just been awkward since some stuff happened one night and I don't know, man..” Keith looked up from his lap to his two very excited teenagers in front of him, they looked to be holding back giggles. When Keith thought about what he said, he realised what they thought he meant. Turning bright red, the raven haired boy sputtered out a quick ammendment; “I mean we hung out on a window watching the stars a few times, nothing else! Why are you two so fucking weird?!”

“We didn't say it buddy, you did!” Pidge replied, no longer holding back their laughter. Hunk joined in with a let raucous chuckle. Keith deflated, leaving his shoulders sag. The laughter settled down.

“We're just worried that you two acting like you are around eachother might affect how the team works y'know?” Hunk placed a large hand on Keith's shoulder, a reassuring gesture most times but right now, Keith was too tired to feel encouraged by someone as genuinely nice as Hunk.

“I know, I know... I just don't know why it suddenly became awkward to begin with. It doesn't really makes sense to me. I know I'm not the most attentive when it comes to people but I think I would have noticed if I did something to upset him..” Keith trailed off. Voicing his concerns was suprisingly relieving.

 

“Do you like Lance?” Pidge asked suddenly but in a suprisingly soft voice. Keith felt his face heat up again, and he couldn't help but look away. _Way to make it obvious. Smooth, very smooth._

“Of course, he's my friend. I like all my friends!” Keith rushed, making himself even more flustered. He wasn't used to being the one whose emotions were on their sleeve. His emotions were his, and he kept them neatly wrapped and tied in a box- buried beneath layers of sarcasm and stony expressions.

“No, Keith. Do you like him as more than a friend?” Hunk nudged him encouragingly as he prompted Keith to admit his embarassing feelings which he most certainly didn't want to accept nevermind make public. There was a long silence then. Keith mulled over what would happen if he told his two friends. Best case scenario, they helped him figure out what's going on. Worst case, they told Lance and Keith would have to to live through the shame of having feelings for his fellow paladin.

“Yeah.. I do. I like him, and I don't know when or how it happened but now I'm here and I don't know what to do.” if he sagged any more, surely Keith would fall of the chair. Abruptly, Pidge started cackling again, this time they elected to also jump from their seat and point straight at Hunk.

“See!” they managed between laughs, “I told you Keithy-boy here would give in and admit it eventually!” Keith recoiled, he couldn't tell if he was angry or embarassed but either way he wanted to get out of here, immediately.

 

Silently, he stood and walked straight out the door and down the hall. He'd been walking pretty fast but soon enough he heard light footsteps coming up fast behind him. “What do you want now Pidge? To embarass me some more?” He spun around, practically spitting his words. Pidge looked sheepish and apologetic, Keith couldn't help but soften a little.

“I'm sorry Keith, I didn't mean it like that. I just had a feeling you liked him and got a bit.. excited when you admitted it.” they took a breath, “I actually think you should tell him your feelings.”

“WHAT?” Keith sputtered, completely taken aback by the idea. He couldn't possibly just tell Lance, it could destroy the whole Voltron dynamic! It could jepardise much more than just his feelings. “I can't.. It's too risky.” He settled on just admitting the risks in general, he didn't want to show how much he'd considered confessing to Lance already. Pushing their glasses up a bit on their nose, Pidge smirked.

“I think you may be surprised by his reaction though. But, it's up to you my dude,” they gave one last small smile before turning around and marching right back from where they come from.

 

This was such a mess, Keith really would have to think hard about this. As he approached his room, resigned to a day of thought, an alarm sounded signalling the need for the paladins. Saved by the bell. _Duty calls I guess!_ Keith thanked his lucky stars he'd escaped his mind, even if it was to fight aliens in a robotic lion.

 

-

 

The battle had been especially long and difficult. Keith had been sure they couldn't succeed against the suprise Galra attack but he was thankfully wrong and against their potential fate they had succeeded. All the paladins had escaped unharmed bar a few bruises and cuts here and there- but it was nothing a bandage and time wouldn't heal. They'd gone through much worse before but yet Keith was left feeling tired and anxious. He hadn't preformed well during the fight, there was manoeuvers that he could easily preform which he'd completely failed and ended up endangering himself along with his teammates. He sat on the window seat, alone once again, staring out at the sky and hating himself for everything he'd messed up by letting his feelings take control for once. Bad idea. “Get over yourself.” He whispered aloud, hoping that his voice would tear him from his pity party.

 

“Jeez, and I just wanted to hang out!” A voice responded. His heart stopped for a moment then, his breath caught and he desperately tried to form some words.

“I didn't mean you,” he finally answered, watching Lance emerge from the shadows and walk towards him. He looked like shit if Keith was totally honest. The dark circles under his eyes prominent and heavy, his brown hair was more tussled than usual. He had less pep in his walk, there was no typical Lance bounce. He looked tired and war-beaten, yet a smile worked it's way to his face regardless.

“So you're talking to yourself? Looks like mullet-head's going crazy,” He joked, but there was that softness in his eyes again. There was clearly no mocking intended, it was just a joke. Keith flushed as usual, reduced to a barely functioning human being in the presence of his seemingly confident crush. After a beat, in which it was clear Keith was not going to reply, Lance spoke again; “Mind if I take a seat?”

“Of course not, go ahead,” Keith gestured to the space beside him, turning around to face the window once again.

Lance sat beside him and the comfortable silence settled over them, only their breathing to be heard. It stayed like that for a while until Lance spoke, it was quiet- so quiet Keith almost missed it.

 

“Isn't it amazing how the stars we see are already dead? Like, they're long gone but yet somehow their light has carried on- even after death. And then to top it all off, we're here at just the right time to see that light. It's so rare and beautiful to even exist.” The feeling Keith had when Lance stopped talking was nothing short of pure adoration for the silly, tall boy with the messy hair and soft, dark skin and the eyes made of the deepest ocean. It wasn't until he let out his breath did Keith realise he'd been holding it to begin with.

“It really is.” Keith simply concluded- no words in his brain could form a sentence with half the beauty and philosophy Lance had just said. Lance just smiled and looked at Keith. Keith stared righ back, allowing himself to become submerged in the blue eyes of the boy beside him. Their proximity was intoxicating, Keith was so close to kissing him. He blushed and for once noticed that the brunet was blushing too. It was light, but it was definitely there. As soon as their bonding moment had begun, it ended. The two looked away and didn't speak another word. After a while of the peaceful silence, Lance stood up from the window seat.

“I should probably sleep,” He smiled, scratching the back of his neck and stretching slightly. Keith simly nodded and smiled- genuinely smiled. With his teeth showing and everything. Lance lingered for a second, seemingly flustered before giving a short wave and heading back towards his room. Keith turned to the window for a moment, before shaking his head and making his own way back to his room- he was too tired for all of this.

 

The days that followed were extraordinarily difficult with both Allura and Coran pushing the team to train harder.

“We can't risk another fight like the last one. It is too dangerous, so we must all work a lot harder.” Allura had told them before assigning a strict regime for each and every day. Keith was silently thankful for the distraction- even if it did come in the form of a beautiful woman with a favour for cruel training. He threw himself in, not hesitating to put his all into each and every practice, fighting as if it was his last day in the Universe. As for the awkwardness between himself and Lance? It abated a small bit, they could train together again and Keith didn't mind being alone with him (although it wasn't preferable. His imagination had somehow developed exceptionally well of late). Lance had even started turning up at the window again- not every single night, but sometimes. Keith himself didn't go there all that often in comparison to the previous few months. The training was making sure he slept almost every night. Sometimes though, the anxiety bubbled up and kept him awake staring at the ceiling. These were the nights he travelled to the only spot on this hectic ship he had deemed peaceful. Overall, Keith was doing well. He'd stopped zoning out as much and was determined to be the paladin he knew he could be. He was filled with determination.

 

Lance on the other hand, seemed different to usual. There was a significant absence of his obnoxious, annoying laughter. Keith had noticed his smile didn't quite reach his eyes as often- he still smiled that cocky one that made Keith want to punch him but there was no soft, goofy grin anymore. Keith couldn't help but wonder had anyone else noticed how quiet he was ever since the last fight. Sure, it had been a tough one and everyone needed to recover but usually, Lance was the first to bounce back and regenerate the teams moral with some bad jokes and laughter. Keith didn't realise how important that was until it was gone. Keith had hoped maybe he was just imagining it but his worry was reaffirmed by Shiro one evening as they sat alone on one of the couches in the communal area.

“Lance has been so quiet since our last mission. I wonder what's the matter..” Shiro spoke. It seemed more like he was voicing his thoughts than asking Keith but Keith answered anyway.

“Yeah, he has hasn't he. It's kinda worrying,” finding himself gnawing at his bottom lip, Keith realised he was much more than 'kinda worried'.

“I might have a talk with him, see what's up. Our team needs to be on high alert right now and I don't want Lance to be too distracted,” Keith couldn't help but prickle at that. Lance wasn't going to cause problems for Voltron, Shiro should be concerned for his friend right now. _But that's selfish._ His inner voice was right but Keith elected to ignore it.

“Maybe you should be worried if Lance is alright instead?!” He had meant it to be snarky, but maybe he'd been too callus. Shiro looked a little hurt and Keith immediately regretted his words.

“I am worried for Lance, Keith, but that doesn't mean I can't worry for the whole team too. I can see you're worried about him. Maybe ask him what's up?” Shiro's voice was as warm and comforting as usual- he was always so nice, Keith didn't understand how he could do that.

Keith sighed; “Yeah, I guess I could.” He'd ask him next time he met him at the window for sure, he needed to know if Lance was okay and this was the only sure fire way of knowing.

 

Coincidentily, It was that very same night that Keith got his chance. Lance had appeared as silent as ever and sat down beside him with just a small hello. The silence was more tense this time, Keith found his lip trapped between his teeth once again and wondered when he'd gained that habit- he had no recollection of ever doing it before. Lance seemed to slump a little where he sat, and mostly he just stared at his hands as he fiddled with his fingers. _He has long-ass fingers. Why is everything about him so tall and lanky? It's pretty cute though s-_ shocked at his innapropriate thoughts, Keith raked his hands through his long hair, agonising over how to approach Lance with the query of his well being. _Bite the bullet._

 

“Hey Lance,” Keith was suprised at how soft his voice had come out- pleasantly suprised though, it seemed appropriate. Lance looked at him, a slight blush covering his face, Keith wondered had he given him a fright or something, shaking it off he continued; “You've been pretty quiet lately.. Is anything the matter?” After what seemed like l00 lightyears of Lance seemingly debating whether to tell Keith or not he finally gave in.

“I'm- I'm pretty homesick...” Lance reached a hand around to scratch his neck, he looked embarassed. Keith suddenly understood, Lance had a big family after all and from what Keith had listened to, he seemed pretty close to them all.

“Tell me about them.”

“Wait- what? You want to know about my family?” Lance looked utterly shellshocked. Keith couldn't help but smile at this and Lance suddenly seemed to soften, his eyes warming up and his anxious frown dissappearing almost entirely.

 

“Ah man, where do I even start..” Lance began but Keith interrupted;

“At the beginning probably.” this made Lance chuckle a little. Keith felt a familiar warmth spread across his chest.

“Well I have 3 siblings and then there's my mom and dad. Isabella is my youngest sister, she's 5 and she is possibly the cutest human being on planet Earth.. apart from me obviously” Keith snorted at that. _You aren't wrong there._

“Then there is Benjamin- or Benny- and he's 9. He's my only brother and he always kinda looked up to me so..” Lance trailed off, a sad expression returning to his face.

“Are you the oldest?” Keith encouraged Lance to continue, it was admirable how much his face lit up as he spoke about his siblings. _They must be close._ He thought.

“Nah, that's Sophia. She's 25 and she's literally the most annoying person ever. Ever since I came out as bi to my family she would pester me asking me when was I bringing home a boyfriend. It was so damn annoying.” Lance laughed at that but Keith was struck by one distinct part. _He's bisexual.._ Keith hadn't even thought about the fact that Lance mightn't have liked guys, he silently cursed himself for being such an idiot considering Lance had never made eyes at any of the handsome dude aliens like he had at the girls. “But of course, I love her lots and she was a great older sister when I was younger.” Lance didn't notice Keith's silence after the whole saying he was bi thing. Keith guessed that Lance didn't think it was much of a big deal, but to Keith it was a huge deal. He hated to admit it but it gave him a sliver of hope that he had a chance with this beautiful boy telling him all about his family.

 

“I miss them dude,” Lance concluded with a deep, sorrowful exhale.

“They sound like great people, so I guess it's only natural to miss them.” Keith responded, eyes on Lance's profile, willing him to turn. Once again as if Lance heard Keith's thoughts, he turned. Their eyes locked and it was intense and Keith felt his face turn bright red- but for once he didn't care. He let himself fall into Lance's ocean eyes.. And then Lance turns away, it's over and Keith is left washed up on the sand, aching for the waves.

“They are great people who I love very much, Mullet head.” Keith scowled at this.

“It's not a mullet fuckwad..” Lance silently chuckled at this- Keith felt Lance's shoulders shake a little. The silence stretched out between them and Keith sensed that Lance had more to say. Clearing his throat and giving Lance a gently nudge on the arm, Keith spoke; “so.. You've got a great family who love you dearly but you're sad? I don't really get it,” Lance took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to his hands.

“I-I guess I just feel like I abandoned them y'know? Like, for all they know I just ran off one day from the Garrison and never returned. I'm MIA and they may even think I'm dead.” He shivered at this, “it's so fucked up, Keith. I want to tell them I'm safe, I'm okay. I want to hug them all, play soccer with my siblings, help my mom cook dinner- hell, I'd even help my dad out at the shop. But, I can't,” Keith felt the emotions in those last three words, he felt them loud and clear. He didn't know what to do. How was he to tell this home-sick boy that he was being silly, that he hadn't abandoned his family, that he was really protecting all of mankind- including the ones he held dear? The words got stuck in his throat and after a minute of thick silence he reached his hand out and took Lance's. Lance's hand was kind of clammy and warm and bigger that Keith's own, but when he interlocked their fingers, it felt like their hands had been made to fit together like this.

Lance gazed down at their hands and blushed a little before whispering a barely audible “thank you” and returning his attention to the window.

 

An atmosphere of calm and understanding settled around the two boys as they laid their heads upon one another and slowly drifted to sleep. As Keith's eyes drooped, his mind lazily wandered to a few days previous when Lance had reappeared at their spot for the first time in too long. His mind retraced the conversation and landed on something he'd been thinking about almost constantly since, something Lance had said as his eyes glittered with starlight;

 

_It's so rare and beautiful to even exist._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've literally been trying to write this since I posted the first chapter but there was something every single night! Ah well it's here now and I'm pretty damn pleased with it. Also idk if anyone noticed but I altered the tags because Lance is confirmed Cuban, FUCK YEAH! 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> Feel free to hmu on my twitter: https://twitter.com/horrorhxe  
> And many thank yous to my lovely beta reader, who you can find here: https://twitter.com/keithkxgane


	3. Chapter 3

They were undoubtedly backed into a corner, stuck between a huge Galra fleet and a defenseless planet. Keith couldn't help but wonder how they had managed to get trapped.. in Space. Muttering a swear under his breath, he swerved out of the way of a lazer aimed straight at his already battered lion.  _ We'll fuck 'em up, Red! _ He growled as his lion swooped dangerously close the the huge Warship looming over the team. Shooting down a smaller ship, Keith took a quick survey of his teammates- they were all clearly struggling. Pushing back the anxiety that threathened Keith's focus, he took offensive procedures while simultaenously scanning the intimidating ship trying to shoot them down. He hoped to find a weak point to attack and there as clear as day stood the cargo hatch.  _ Bingo. _ He thought, silently pumping his fist into the air. Without a seconds hesitation, he fired with all his might at the hatch- it burst open and debree scattered all around Red. Now was Keith's slim chance to do some major damage to the warship. Using up all of Red's fire, he blasted a hole at least the size of Shiro's lion in the side of the ship. Fighter ships gathered around him and let loose, giving their all in the hopes of besting Keith, but the dark haired boy was far too smart for that. Skilled hands led him between ships and out the other side. Only when he saw Hunk's lion taking a brutal beating did he finally tune in to what was going on beyond his own mission the damage the ship.

 

“Keith?! Keith repond! We need to form Voltron!” Shiro shouted through the comm system. His distress wasn't obvious but Keith knew him well enough to see passed the air of calm Shiro exuded. Worry once again crossed Keith's mind. Worry for his teammates, for Voltron... for Lance. He hadn't seen the blue lion much during the fight but it hadn't concerned him much at the time, too preoccupied with his own fight. That was Keith's problem, he saw it as his fight and not  _ their _ fight. Skimming his eyes across the 'battlefield', bright blue caught his eye. Breathing a sigh of relief, Keith finally answered Shiro.

“Hey Shiro, sorry I was a bit busy,” he was suprised at how calm his voice had come out. It definitely didn't mirror his brain right now. “Do you think we'll even be able to form. These shits are really keeping us apart.”

“Yeah, they are. But we need to try.. Voltron is the only force that will take down this ship.” Keith couldn't help but admire Shiro's attempts at keeping his cool- undoubtedly for the benefit of the team and not just himself. Just then a frantic Pidge joined in the conversation, they sounded out of breath and even a little- scared?

“We need to fucking form, NOW!” Keith expected Shiro to scold Pidge on their language but he just grunted a confirming response. The 5 lions battled their way to eachother, eventually coming close enough to form.

“Team, now!” Shiro shouted as they flew in unison, their robots shifting around them to form to mecha warrior they had been lucky enough to become paladins for.

 

From the moment they formed Voltron together, the enemy had become far easier to destroy. It was still difficult and it took far longer than Keith had hoped it would. They were all exhausted when the huge warship finally gave in in a flurry of explosions and chunks of metal. They seperated and picked off the last few lions.

“Good job, guys,” Shiro called over the comm, Keith could hear the anxiety that had bubbled beneath his collected surface was gone now. They'd won after all.

“I didn't think we'd make it honestly,” Hunk pointed out, sounding more apologetic for his disbelief than happy for their victory.

“I didn't either, Hunk” Pidge piped up.

“Of course we did it, we're team motherfucking Voltron!” Lance shouted, the victory clear in his voice. Keith smiled at the relief of hearing Lance was okay. They were all okay, and they'd won. They were all clearly relieved, so relieved, in fact, that they didn't see the stray Galra ship flying up towards them. They didn't see it until it was too late. Until Lance's lion was sent hurtling into the debris of the destroyed warship, his startled cry of shock suddenly going silent as the blue lion made impact with a particularly hefty piece of metal. The whole team sprang into action, some shouting, some swearing, some shooting down the remaining Galra ship. They all shouted Lance's name- not in unison but in a chorus. No reply came... Not even when Shiro's lion grabbed the blue one in it's mouth and hurtled towards the planet the castle was on.

 

-

 

The following hours had been a flurry of panic and worry as they tore Lance out of his lion and carried him to the healing pods. He hadn't regained consciousness since the collision with the space detritus and that had worried Keith more than he could fathom. The idea of Lance being badly hurt made the raven haired boy's gut knot up in an almost painful manner. Allura had assured them all Lance would be alright, he just needed to heal and rest up for a few days after that. They had all decided to take it in turns to watch over Lance. Coran had pointed out they wouldn't need to watch over Keith so much, that he'd be fine in the infirmary. Keith was angry at that but before he had a chance to protest, Hunk had firmly put his hand to his chest and proclaimed he wouldn't let Lance wake up with no idea where he was and how he got there. Keith had nodded in agreement, and volunteered to take the first shift. Shiro had protested, saying they should all rest up but Lance simply knew he wouldn't be able to sleep knowing Lance wasn't okay.

 

-

 

The night was still. Keith sat on the steps that faced the healing pods. His breathing shallow and stressed. It had been over 48 hours since they'd returned from their particularly difficult fight. Lance was still in the pod- he looked peaceful, like he was just asleep, like there was nothing wrong with him at all. Keith couldn't help but think of how it would feel to wake up next to that face. The dark haired boy felt the worried look he'd adapted in the past two days melt off his face at the thought of a peaceful Lance, a Lance that wasn't stuck in a glass tube because the rest of his team didn't have his back. The troubled expression found it's way back to Keith's face and he knit his brows together in frustration at the irresponsible actions that had led to Lance getting hurt. He wanted to protect Lance, care for him- maybe even love him.  _ What the fuck Keith? He's in a healing pod and you're thinking about 'loving' him?!  _ He inwardly scolded himself. He didn't know how to approach his feelings but while Lance was ill, that shouldn't be a thought on his mind to begin with.

 

Hours seemed to pass before there was a stir in the room. A whirring noise emitted from the healing pod and Keith jumped up to see what was up. The small screen seemed to flash with bars and lights of some sort- none of which Keith understood. He stood there for a moment, reasoning that perhaps the machine was just cooling down or something like that. As he went to turn away, the front of the pod suddenly opened. Lance's eyes sprung open and he fell forward. Keith lunged for him, grabbing him by the waist to keep the other upright. Lance seemed to be gasping for air as if he'd never in his life had anything fill his lungs. After a moment, Keith pulled away from Lance and helped him stand by himself. Lance looked confused.. And scared. Keith felt guilt rush through his bloodstream.  _ He was probably hoping for Hunk to greet him, or Pidge... Or maybe even Allu- _

 

“Keith,” a voice interrupted his sudden negative thought process. He turned his own violet eyes towards the taller boys blue ones. Oh how he'd missed those blue eyes. They had a comfort about them that Keith associated with nothing else, it was a comfort that made him think of the home he'd never had. “Keith.” Lance repeated, blinking slowly as if he was still surprised by Keith's presence.

“Yeah, I'm here.” Keith simply replied, suddenly lost in those deep blue eyes, the one's he'd longed for in every one of his daydreams. Lance's eyes seemed to become shiny at his word, threatening to spill over and givc away his gratefulness. The taller boy suddenly wrapped his arms around Keith's neck, holding him close. Keith wrapped his own arms around Lance's torso, pulling him as close to his body as he could manage.

“You're here.” Lance's voice was muffled on Keith's shoulder. They stood like that for a while. Cherishing the moment of absolute happiness at seeing eachother.

 

When they eventually seperated, the two boys stared at eachother for a long while. Just staring. And then, Lance's eyes flicked towards Keith's mouth and back to his eyes.  _ Fuck. _ Keith thought, as Lance leaned down towards Keith.  _ He's going to kiss me oh my god, it's finally happening! _ Keith was elated and then it struck him- Lance was just after waking up, not 5 minutes ago after practically being in a coma for 2 days, he was confused and had gotten swept up.  _ I can't let him do this. I can't take advantage of his fragile state.. I can't. _ The realisation hit Keith hard, and he twisted his head away, stepping back. When he looked back at Lance, his face seemed to have changed entirely- he looked devastated, embarassed, ashamed..  _ Shit. _

“I'm sorry Lance, I-I can't,” Keith managed to sputter after looking away from Lance's beautiful, hurt face. Beautiful and rejected- but Keith didn't see the heartbreak. He missed that one important piece of emotion. Lance left then. Without a word, he turned, and he left. He walked away. Keith felt the weight of everything suddenly crush him. He sank to the floor, face in his hands.

 

Tears escaping his stormy, violet eyes.

 

-

 

Days passed after that and Lance still wasn't speaking to him. Keith felt himself slip back into his spiral of self doubt and anxiety every time he saw Lance and was forced to relive the hurt look Lance had worn when Keith hadn't let him kiss him. He just didn't want their possibly only kiss to be because Lance was out of it or something. He wanted it to mean as much to Lance as it would to him. Keith wasn't one for feeling like this, but he knew that regret was a bitch and there was a huge chance Lance would've regretted it the next morning. Hell, Keith was sure he regretted it anyway. The voice deep in his mind told him Lance was avoiding him because he didn't actually want to kiss him. It screamed at him, told him Lance would never feel for him as he felt for Lance. Keith listened. He listened hard, and he believed the voice. It was the easy way out- to ignore the reality that maybe Lance did have feelings for Keith. The reality that for some reason scared Keith more than anything. He'd yearned for Lance to kiss him so often, he'd fantasized about how his lips would taste, how his skin would feel, what he'd smell like up close. He'd dreamed of trailing kissed down Lance's neck and jaw, appreciating every single centimetre of soft, dark skin. He wanted to kiss Lance so badly that sometimes he'd subconsciously find himself staring at the back of Lance's head as the taller boy vehemently ignored him.

 

Keith was hurt. Maybe not as hurt as Lance's ego, but hurt none-the-less. In Keith's mind, Lance was embarassed at his stupid attempt at a kiss that he didn't even want and now he was taking it out by acting like a child and ignoring Keith. Keith could feel the awkwardness- and so could the rest of the team. They all ignored it at first, suspecting something had gone on between the two boys in private. But, not wanting to pry, they'd left the two sort it out themselves. However after a week of deafining discomfort, the whole team, including Allura and Coran, and excluding Keith and Lance, had gotten together and decided to confront to boys- individually of course. They needed to sort their shit out.

 

Shiro approached Keith as he trained alone one evening. Leaning against the door he let Keith finish up the exercise before calling out to him.

“Keith!” Shiro's voice shocked Keith out of battle mode and he whipped around, half expecting Lance to be there, a quip about Keith's fighting technique on the edge of his tongue. Trying the best to keep his dissappointment hidden, the dark haired boy turned to his old friend and leader.

“Shiro,” he nodded, walking towards the other. “What's up?”

“Unfortunately, I don't know. Maybe you could tell me?” Keith groaned and turned away from Shiro, bitterness taking over his expression. He really didn't need this to deal with on top of everything else.  _ Why can't everyone just leave me be for one fucking minute? _ His thoughts were violent, it actually surprised the boy a little.

“There's nothing wrong Shiro.” He paused, “now if you'll excuse me, I need to go wash myself because I smell”  _ and feel _ “like shit.” Keith headed for the door, brushing past Shiro without a second glance.

 

A strong hand gripped his arm- it wasn't rough, but it held Keith back. He whipped around, pissed at Shiro. “Dude, I don't have to fucking share my every damn thought!” he spat, immediately regretting it when the look of hurt crossed Shiro's face briefly.

“I'm sorry, Keith,” Shiro dropped his hand to his side, “I wouldn't be pushing you like this if it wasn't negatively affecting the team and our abilities. You have to talk about what's after happening, we can't all continue to walk on egg shells around you and Lance.” Shiro sighed, stepping back from Keith- Keith noted how genuinely guilty he looked, as if it was all his fault. A pang of sadness hit Keith deep in his chest. He felt cold, he longed for that warmth he felt when he was alone with Lance. After a long sullen silence, Keith finally spoke up.

“I fucked up really bad, Shiro...”

“What happened?”

“I don't know-”

“I doubt that entirely,” Keith couldn't help but smirk at that, Shiro knew Keith too well for his own good. “You can tell me what really happened, Keith.” A firm hand rested on his shoulder, reassuring in it's weight and the warmth it brought.

“When Lance came out of the healing pod, we were emotional and he-he-” Keith didn't know how to continue, he could hear the emotion in his own voice and he felt so  _ weak _ . Shiro stayed quiet for a moment, allowing Keith to finish if he could. When he couldn't the older man contributed;

“He kissed you?”

“No.” Shiro let his mouth fall open a little, he clearly was surprised about this. Keith felt exposed, but knew he should continue. “He tried to.. But I-I fucked up and rejected him and oh god, he looked so fucking  _ hurt _ ,” he emphasized the word hurt and it stung deep in his heart because Lance really had looked hurt, he was hurt, and Keith had done it. Keith had hurt him, the moment he stepped out of a damn healing pod. A sour taste stung settled in the back of his throat and his eyes suddenly itched like he need to rub them as hard as he could.

“Keith... I'm sorry.” Keith didn't bother giving an answer- he wasn't entirely sure he had a voice to respond with anyway. “But, you need to make up with him. If not for yourself, or even the team- then for the fate of the Universe.” As noble as those words sounded, they didn't sit well with the raven haired boy. Lance could barely be in the same room as Keith right now, how was he meant to make up with him? Corner him and confess his love?

 

_ Love..  _ It hit Keith like a ton of bricks falling from a ten storey high building. He had fallen in love with Lance and that scared him. Not the same fear that he got from facing a 100 strong fleet of Galra, but a more emotional one. One that threatened to tear his heart from his chest. Screwing his eyes shut, Keith massaged his temples against his sudden headache. This was such a mess. He wasn't meant to fall in love with a fellow paladin- especially not the annoying tall one, who's soft golden brown skin always seemed to glow and short hair that was always somehow messy, with his deep ocean blue eyes and a laugh that was infectious to everyone around him.  _ Fuck this shit. _ Keith thought sourly at the beautiful image of Lance he held in his mind's eye. Shiro was still silent when Keith eventually came back to the present. He sighed as he realised that Lance deserved at least an apology from him.

“Yeah, I know. I really do know. I'm just unsure how to approach him, honestly. He's been avoiding me with all his might.”

“I'm sure you'll figure something out. Just remember to take your emotions and his into consideration before and during. I'm gonna leave the rest to you, Keith. You can do it.” With that, Shiro patted Keith's shoulder and left. Alone once again, Keith made a resolution to tell Lance how he truly felt as soon as possible.

 

-

 

Keith had been determined to tell Lance how he felt, but Lance was a totally different story. For the past 4 days, Keith had tried numerous times to talk to Lance- and every single time, Lance had escaped by some means or another. Patience was wearing thin for Keith, he needed to say something before he chickened out and ruined Voltron for everyone. With Lance being so stubborn, this was indeed proving impossible. It was still awkward and everyone was still tip toeing around him. He hated it all, he wanted it to stop.  _ Stupid feelings. _ Keith bit back scolding himself aloud as he made his way to the training deck for group training. Pushing open the doors, he was met with the team looking expectanctly at Allura. She turned to him and smiled broadly.

“Ah Keith! You're here. We're doing pair work today!” Keith merely grunted in recognition, allowing his fould mood to filter through his silence. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lance shift closer to Hunk. He wished it didn't but that stung- Lance really didn't want to be near him. The avoidance was a constant reminder of how badly Keith had messed up that night, over two weeks ago at this point. Keith's curt response didn't stunt Allura's enthusiasm. “I will choose the pairs. Line up paladins.” The group fell into place alongside Shiro, facing Allura. This whole situation didn't sit well with Keith, it sent a shiver of anxiety up his body. His hands threatened to shake.

“Shiro, you go with Hunk. Pidge, you will fight against me,”  _ shit, shit, shit! _ Panic flashed across Keith's face and one glance at Lance showed he was just as terrified of what Allura was about to say; “And Lance, you are with Keith.” Lance looked ready to object but Allura cut him off, ushering everyone into their pairs and telling them what they needed to do. Lance wouldn't meet Keith's eyes, he stood as far away as he could too. Keith bit back the familiar sour taste in his mouth.

 

“You must work together and do everything in your power to save your teammate against the droids, alright? Okay, exercise start!” Allura's voice triggered the training droids to come flying out of several hatches on the walls of the training deck. They circled Lance and Keith, forcing them to back up into eachother, shields and bayards activated. Keith could feel Lance's back against him and it made him feel at ease momentarily. They fought hard, doing their best to protect eachother. But it all ended as soon as Keith's foot caught on Lance's and he lost his balance, leaving both himself and Lance totally unprotected. Letting out a surprised squeak, Keith crashed to the floor, and Lance got hit by a droid and was thrown back a bit. Keith frowned at his lack of stability, he was well co-ordinated usually, how did he fall over Lance's foot?

“Jesus Christ, were you trying to trip me, Keith?!” Lance looked furious. Keith didn't know what to say, he hadn't fell on purpose.

“Lance, I-I-”

“Whatever. I'm not working with you. You clearly don't want to be my partner so why should I bother protecting you?” Lance was shouting now. Keith felt anger and frustration bubbling up inside him, threating to overspill. Lance turned away and began to stride away. Keith couldn't hold it in any longer, he let all his pent up frustration rush out in the form of anger. Hopping to his feet, he strode forward and grabbed hold of Lance's arm.

“Listen up you fucking idiot, I didn't fall on purpose, I  _ tripped _ . So stop acting like it's all my damn fault, stop acting like you're the only one suffering. Stop being so damn _ selfish _ !” Keith's voice wasn't loud, but it was powerful and the anger was more than visible. Lance stiffened, his face looked shocked. Keith usually fought back against Lance in their numourous competitions, but that was always light-hearted, this was different. This was anger and hurt and love all mixed up into a horrid goo that Coran would most certainly serve up and mistitle as 'delicious'. Keith dropped his arm to his side, but he continued to stare into Lance's eyes- they lacked their usual comfort and this deeply disturbed Keith. He missed that comfort. He missed Lance so much it had created a hole in his chest that had filled with anger and confusion. This couldn't continue any longer, Keith couldn't let himself and his team get wrenched apart like this any longer. Lance turned around and stormed out of the room without a second word. Everyone stood in stony silence for what seemed to be a thousand years before Pidge left out a frustrated sigh and turned to Keith.

“Go makeup now or so help me, I will eject both of you into the chasm of space.” they spat, looking more irritated than even Keith was. He sighed and followed Lance's lead, taking his leave in search for the broken hearted boy.

 

Keith wandered up and down the halls, checking the usual places. The kitchen, the dining room, the communal area, Lance's room, the Lion hangar, you name it, Keith had checked it. Standing in the centre of a desolate and eerily quiet hall, Keith ran a hand through his thick hair. He scowled at Lance's persistance that it was a mullet.  _ It's not a damn mullet, it's just kinda long. _ Keith had always liked it long, it was comfortable for him.  _ Where could he be? _ Keith was close to giving in when the window seat flashed in his mind. Taking off at a sprint, the raven haired boy raced towards that spot that meant so much to him. The hallways flew past as he approached the right turn to the isolated window that stared out intothe infinite of space and time. He stopped before rounding it, taking a moment to calm himself.  _ Just breath. _

 

Lance was sitting on the window, cross-legged and staring. Keith could only see the back of the other boy, but he could tell everything was not alright. Lance's sharp shoulders tilted down uncharacteristically, his head was dipped slightly, his fingers balled into fists as they rested on the surface of the seat. Keith swallowed thickly, suddenly more nervous than he'd been in a long time. He quietly approached the silent boy in front of him, careful not to startle him. He didn't want to start shit- he wanted to end it. “Lance?” Keith spoke, his voice slightly hoarse and extremely quiet. He stood a foot or so away from the taller boy, too worried he'd scare him off to offer the comfort he wanted to so badly give. A small snifle shocked Keith out of his fear. Was Lance  _ crying _ ? “Lance please talk to me...” Keith begged, letting the emotion he'd be stifling flood his voice- he sounded so weak to his own ears, he hated this. Then, Lance turned around. And those beautiful deep blue oceans were overflowing. Keith couldn't help but wonder how such a deep ocean could overflow like that- but then he remembered Lance wasn't an impenetrable ocean, he was a man- a man who had feelings and hopes and dreams. A man who missed his family and Earth but wanted so badly to defend the Universe alongside his teammates. A man who Keith had fallen incredibly and irrevocably in love with.

 

What happened next wasn't what Lance nor Keith had expected. Keith stepped forward and place two hands at either side of Lance's face. Wordlessly, Keith leaned forward, letting his lips press softly against Lance's. The kiss was short and utterly breath-taking. When Keith pulled away, Lance looked confused and shocked.

“Bu-but I thought you didn't l-like me?” Lance hiccuped through his tears, his voice was filled to the brim with emotion that Keith couldn't quiet understand. A moment passes between the two boys as they stare into eachother's eyes. And then Keith speaks;

 

“You taught me the courage of the stars, Lance. How light carries on endlessly, even after death. And I-” he took a deep breath in, “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this was fun to write. I'm not entirely delighted with it BUT it's definitely not the worst thing I've ever written (I wote a Pewdiecry fanfiction, so that's saying something). 
> 
> Anyway's enjoy and feel free to hmu in the comments or on my twitter: https://twitter.com/horrorhxe


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommendation: Listen to Saturn by Sleeping at Last while reading this chapter.

Keith made sure to ingrain the image of Lance's face into his mind. He absorbed every tiny detail; how his eyes twinkled, still damp from his tears, the way his nose was scrunched up just a little and his eyebrows furrowed creating creases on his smooth, caramel skin, the light sprinkling of freckles that cover his cheeks and nose, the deep blue of eyes that Keith never wanted to stop staring at. Lance was so beautiful to Keith, every inch took his breath away and threatened to smother him. These feelings, so new to him, made him feel uneasy but also oddly at peace- it was as if the wildness he'd always attributed to just wanting to be alone was slowly seeping out of his lonely bones. Keith found himself smiling at this, and it only grew when Lance's eyes widened just a bit and a light dusting of blush reached his face. Lance still hadn't replied to Keith's confession and although this worried Keith, he was strangely overcome with happiness that quelled the worry in his gut. Lance ducked his head for a moment, wiping his eyes roughly with his sleeve before looking back up at Keith.

“M-me too,” he stuttered out, turning a brighter sort of red before waving his hands wildly and continuing; “I mean like yeah I l-love you too! Not like I love me too.. I've actually been into you for as long as I can remember. Maybe even since our Garrison days- not that you noticed me back then or anything but-” Lance was rambling, panic slowly washing over his face. Keith smirked at this but decided to help the floundering boy. He leaned in and cupped Lance's face, the other froze in place, his river of words suddenly blocked by the dam Keith's actions had created. Moving closer, Keith laid a simple, chaste kiss on Lance's mouth. When he pulled back to look at Lance, he relished how inexperienced the other boy seemed to be- considering how much of a huge flirt he was, he sure didn't know how to react to anything even remotely romantic. After another moment, a smile stretched across Lance's face, white teeth that practically glittered against his dark skin stunning Keith into his own warm faced silence. _Damn this pretty boy._

 

“Soooo... What is this then?” Lance broke the comfortable silence which had stretched between them. The question had barely even registered as one that needed to be asked, although admittedly Keith never thought they'd even get to this stage. He pondered it for a moment, considering his answer carefully, turning it over and over in his mind before coming to a conclusion.

“I don't know,” Keith admitted, running a hand through his hair, “but I do know what it could be.” Lance cocked his head at that, quietly urging Keith to continue with his train of thought. “If you wanted.. We could be boyfriends?” The clear inflection indicating it as a question hung in the air for a moment as Lance thought about it.

“I think I'd like that,” he concluded with a happy nod. Keith was amazed at how easy it all was. _Why didn't I do this before now? Damn._ His thoughts chided him, with absolutely no bitterness for once. Lance was his boyfriend- Keith's boyfriend. He'd come to this window expecting to go back to their rival/kind of friend's status like before, yet here he was, leaving with a boyfriend. The thought sent a familiar sensation of butterflies to his stomach. The realisation of what had happened made Keith remember the rest of the team, probably still training, also probably waiting for himself and Lance's return. As if sensing Keith's thoughts, Lance spoke;

“We should probably head back to the training deck, eh?” he rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly and Keith couldn't help but marvel at him, even as a familiar flirty grin crept on his face. “Or maybe you want to keep checking me out?” Keith flushed at the obviousness of his appreciation.

“S-sorry!” he stuttered out, but Lance being his wonderful self just patted Keith's shoulder and chuckled as he walked past assumedly towards the rest of the team's location.

 

Their arrival was met with inquisitive looks from the entire Voltron team and Keith felt a sudden flush of embarassment. He had no idea whether to tell everyone straight out that himself and Lance were boyfriend's now or whether to just continue as per usual. His internal struggle didn't last long before Lance cleared his throat and strided towards their fellow paladin's, Allura, and Coran.

“I would like to inform you all that Keith and I are now dating and we'd very much like to have your blessings,” _We do?_ “So, yeah, I hope that's cool with you guys!” Lance's smile was a mile wide, and it almost seemed to shimmer- but maybe that was just Keith's imagination. Unable to form coherent words, the raven haired boy just furiously nodded in agreement when all eyes fell on him. _Why is it so warm in here?_ Keith thought desperately, considering bolting for the door. He did not like this much attention, definitely not. After what seemed to be five eternities, the stunned silence was broken in a rush of voices.

“Space gays!” Pidge exclaimed, laughing manically.

“Well done guys, I'm glad you made up.” Shiro smiled, as warm and encouraging as ever.

“At last!” Hunk laughed, pulling Lance into a bear hug.

“Does this mean they'll stop fighting?” Coran asked aside to Allura.

“I think so.” She nodded in reply. “Well, I most certainly would love to continue chatting but we have a Universe to protect, paladins! Back to training!” As curt as ever, Allura sent them back to intense team work with a clap of her hands and a smile on her face. This time Keith and Lance protected eachother perfectly- almost as if to eachother, they were their Universe.

 

-

 

Delicate fingers wove through Keith's long hair, tugging it softly this way and that, weaving a perfect tapestry. The owner of the fingers hummed serenely as he worked. Eyes closed, Keith let out a content sigh.

“I love braiding your hair,” Lance said softly, close to Keith's ear, sending a slight shiver through his body.

“I love having my hair braided by you,” Keith replied simply.

“It's a real win-win situatuion, eh?” Keith could practically feel Lance's grin, he merely hummed in agreement, too at peace to really reply. This moment was one of the quieter ones they experience in their everyday lives a new couple. Their budding relationship was slow but relaxed, neither of them really minding the slow pace of the physical aspect- after all the emotional side was already taking much of their attention. Sure, Keith admitted there were times when he wanted so much more than a brief kiss and a hug from Lance, but he wasn't going to push it. They were happy as they are.

 

-

 

The window had quickly become their favourite place to escape to to be together. Exchanging stories of their pasts as they sit wrapped in eachother's arms becomes the norm. Keith loves every second of it; the feeling of Lance's arms around him, the way the stars seem to twinkle brighter now, the feeling of absolute love he gets from not being alone. The window is no longer a substitute for a lonely bed, somewhere to waste away the small hours- no, it's a place to go when he wants to feel good, to be happy. Keith ponders all of this as Lance talks about the time Sophia and himself and gotten grounded for sneaking out to watch a 12am premiere of some sci-fi movie. With a lazy smile and half lidded eyes, Lance chuckles about his story- Keith flushes with warmth at the love he holds for the tall boy. Unable to help himself, a small smile curls up the edges of his mouth. Lance notices.

“Enjoying yourself?” he smirks, and Keith quickly looks down, a slight blush gracing his face. He nods and wiggles closer to Lance, burying his head in the other's chest. He feels Lance's laugh as the brunet places a soft kiss to the top of Keith's head.

“I love you,” Keith mumbles into the fabric of Lance's shirt, breathing in his scent.

“I love you too,” Lance replies, warm breath tickling the top of Keith's head.

 

-

 

It's late. The whole team is sitting in the communal area in absolute silence. Most of the time Voltron won, but sometimes the Galra were that much stronger and in those instances a lot of innocent lives were lost. This was one of the latter times. They'd all fought with everything they had- it just hadn't been enough. Keith was angry, furious even. They'd fought so hard and yet they still lost. After too many minutes of everyone's silence, he stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room. He knew he was being dramatic, but it didn't stop him from walking straight to the training deck and booting up the machine to do some anger training. After a few minutes, the doors to the room opened to reveal a tired looking Lance. Keith stopped immediately, slightly shocked Lance had come after him. Without hesitation, he shut down the machine and walked towards the other boy. His eyes were so sad looking, it hurt Keith to see the usually happy boy looks so defeated.

 

“Keith..” the blue oceans that stared into Keith's own eyes threatened to overflow as he spoke. Without a word, Keith pulled the taller boy into a tight embrace. He didn't know how but he understood what Lance was trying to say, and he didn't want to hear it.

“Don't apologise, we all did our best.” Lance clutched tighter to Keith's chest, his body seemingly heavier than usual. They stood like that for a long moment, seeking and finding the comfort they so desperately needed, in each other.

 

-

 

Strong hands clutched at Keith's hips, pulling him closer. He tightened his grip around Lance's neck, pressing himself flush against his long body. Their lips moved together in a perfect dance and before long, Keith found himself brushing his tongue along Lance's llip, requesting an opening and receiving it just as quickly. Their tongues explored eachother's mouths, twirling around eachother. The kiss became more desperate as Keith softly bit Lance's lower lip, encouraging a soft moan from deep his chest. Keith eagerly moved from Lance's mouth to his jaw, peppering it in chaste kisses before moving onto his neck, sucking and biting at the soft skin as warm hands moved up Keith's sides and under his shirt. Lance bent his head back, giving ease of access to Keith, he muttered something about “that leaving a mark” as Keith bit a little harder in one place. Pleasure surged through his body as Lance pushed his pelvis against Keith's. One of the hands under his shirt emerged to grab Keith's chin and pull his mouth back to Lance's as he desperately kissed at the raven haired boy. When they finally broke apart for air, faces flushed and smiles plastered on their kiss swollen lips, the two couldn't help but laugh.

“Why did we wait so long to make-out?” Lance wondered aloud.

“I have no idea~” Keith responded before pressing his lips to Lance's once again. _But I never want to stop._

 

_-_

 

“Seriously dude, just leave me alone. I need to be alone!” Keith shouted, face flushed with anger. He was too tired for this bullshit. Lance just needed to give him his goddamn space. Lance's face was equally angry as he took a step towards Keith.

“You can fuck right off if you think I'm leaving you alone in the state you're in! I know you, you'll end up going off and wallowing somewhere, telling yourself how much of a failure you are and that- that just isn't okay with me, alright?!” Lance yelled back. The words hit Keith hard and he stopped dead in his tracks, arms falling limply to his sides. His anger suddenly drained from his body, leaving him exhausted. Lance cared so much and here Keith was, shouting at him and telling him to go away. Shame washed over the shorter boy as he stared down at the ground. The silence was thick and filled with emotion. After a moment, Keith felt a hands intertwine with his own but he couldn't bring himself to look up. A hand gently pulling his chin upwards told him Lance was having none of it. “I just care a lot okay? I don't want you to think badly of yourself over something that wasn't your fault- or anyone's for that matter.” When it was evident that Keith wasn't going to speak, Lance bent down the small gap between the two boys' height and rested his forehead against Keith's. They stared into eachother's eyes for a long while before either of them spoke.

“Your eyes are beautiful, they're such a deep violet..” Lance whispered, his breath caught in his throat a little. Keith blushed and averted his gaze in embarassment. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to finally speak.

“Yours are more beautiful though.. They're like two oceans. Everytime I look into them I feel myself drowning but for once it's not a bad drowning it's like-” a pause, “they're surrounding me and filling me with love and care.” When Lance didn't respond, Keith risked a glance up. He was met with a sight quite unfamiliar to him- a bashful Lance. Lance opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud voice from behind them.

“THAT WAS SO GAY!” Pidge squawked at them. They laughed then- so hard that Keith gasped for air and Lance literally fell to the floor. What had they even been yelling about to begin with?

 

-

 

The stars seemed to shine brighter than ever that night as they relaxed on the window where it all had began. Lance was humming something softly while running his hands through Keith's hair. Keith lay eyes shut, with his head in Lance's lap. Lance's voice was low and melodic- not the best voice Keith had ever heard but damn if it didn't send shivers down Keith's spine. He'd become accustomed to Lance's humming but it wasn't very often he got to hear him actually sing. His violet eyes shot open as words left Lance's mouth.

“I couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again... I tried to write it down but I could never find a pen.. I'd give anything to hear, hear you say it one more time... That the Universe was made just to be seen by my eyes..” It was slow and brimming with emotion, Keith's heart swelled in his chest as he left the lyrics burrow into his mind. Wiping at the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, he sat up and took Lance's hands, intertwining their fingers. Staring into the blue eyes he loved so dearly, he spoke, his voice a mere whisper;

“It was.”

“Hm?” Lance gazed at him inquisitively.

“The Universe was made to be seen by your eyes, Lance, by your beautiful ocean eyes.” Without a single word more, he cupped Lance's chin and met Lance's soft lips with his own.

 

The courage of the stars filled Keith's mind then, how light carries on endlessly- even after death. With shortness of breath, he kissed the person he loved more than anything, thinking of how rare and beautiful it was to even exist.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And sooo that's my first contribution to the vld fandom done! I want to do a little epilogue to this too but yeah that's that!
> 
> Honestly thank you everyone for the reading and enjoying it, writing this has put me in the mood for writing more- I already have an AU in mind and plan on writing it immediately (so watch out for that). 
> 
> Thanks for everything, feel free to leave kudos and a comment if you'd like.
> 
> You can hmu on-  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/horrorhxe
> 
> Tumblr: horrorhxe.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks to my wonderful beta reader also, you can find her here: https://twitter.com/keithkxgane


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